Music-leaf turner.



G. H. HANCOCK. MUSIC LEAF TURNER, APPLICATION FILED PEB.15, 1910.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' 3140c n 707 Harzcoci attain i G. H. HANCOCK.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER, APPLIOATION FILED PEB.15, 1910.

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g imi ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. HANCOCK, OF REIDSVILLE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM T. BURKHALTER, 0F REIDSVILLE, GEORGIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 23, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. HANCOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reidsville, in the county of Tattnall and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in music leaf turners.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved construction of'music leaf turner adapted to be applied to pianos, organs, music stands and the like, whereby the pages or leaves of the music may be readily turned by the player without causing a break in the music.

Another object is to provide means to regulate the tension of the springs of the leaf turning arms whereby the latter may be maintained in proper working condition.

WVith the foregoing and other objects'in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of a portion of a piano showing the application of the invention thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the leaf turner; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fi 6 is a cross sectional view taken immediately above the base of the turner; Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the leaf engaging arms.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the base of the turner to which is secured an upwardly projecting casing 2. Between the laterally projecting upper and lower ends of the casing is arranged a shaft 3 on which is pivotally mounted a series of leaf engaging and turn ing arms 4, said arms being provided on their outer forward ends with upwardly projecting right angular leaf engaging fingers 5. On the rear ends of the arms 4 are formed hooks 6 adapted to be engaged by spring retaining devices hereinafter described. In the forward portion of the arms 4, adjacent to their pivotal connection with the shaft 3, is formed an oif-set or loop 7.

lVith the loops or off-sets 7 of the arms 4 are engaged the hook-shaped outer ends 8 of a series of coiled arm operating springs 9, which are arranged in the casing 2 and are connected at their inner ends by swivels 10 with a series of tension adjusting screws 11 arranged in the outer edge of the casing, as shown. By means of the screws 11, the tension of the springs 9 is regulated so that the proper tension of the springs may always be maintained.

The arms 4 are held in an operative or set position against the tension of the springs 9 by means of a series of spring catches 12, which are secured to and project across the rear side of the case and are adapted to be engaged with the hooks 6' formed on the rear ends of the arms, as shown. The catches are provided with beveled or inclined outer ends, whereby, when the hooks 6 are brought into engagement therewith, as when the arms 4 are being swung to an inoperative position, said hooks will engage the beveled or inclined ends of the catches and will raise the same, thus causing them to automatically spring into engagement with the hooks 6, thereby retaining or holding the arms in a set or operative position.

In order to release the arms 4 and thus permit the same to be swung around by the springs 9 connected thereto, thus turning the leaves of the music, I provide a suitable catch releasing mechanism comprising a series of levers 13 which are pivotally mounted in a recess 14 formed in the base 1 below the casing 2 and which are provided on their outer ends with keys 15, which are adapted to be engaged by the player to actuate the releasing mechanism and thus cause the arms 4 to turn the leaves.

To the inner ends of the levers 13 are pivotally connected the lower ends of catch releasing rods 16, which project upwardly through the bottom of the casing, which bottom is extended beyond the rear side of the casing, as shown. The rods 16 pass through guides 17 and have their upper ends bent inwardly at right angles to form catchengaging and lifting fingers 18, which, when the levers 13 are depressed and the releasing rods thereby pushed upwardly,

will force the catches up, thereby disengaging the outer ends thereof from the hooks 6 on the rear ends of the arms thereby permitting the springs to operate the latter and thus turn the leaves.

By means of an operating and releasing mechanism constructed as herein shown and described, any of the leaf turning arms may be independently released and operated to turn the leaves of the music when desired. As it is only necessary in the operation of the device to depress the desired key of the releasing levers in order to operate the leaf turning arms, this may be accomplished with such speed that the operation will not interfere with the playing of the music or cause a break in the same.

In connection with the turner, I preferably provide a music supporting shelf 19 which is secured to the casing 2 and is notched out as shown at 20 to provide for the proper operation of the leaf turning arms. In the use of the device, the same will preferably be placed on the top or at any other suitable position on the piano or organ or may be secured in any suitable manner to a music stand or support.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a music leaf turner a casing having extensions at its upper and lower ends, an upright shaft mounted in said extensions, a series of leaf turning arms pivotally mounted in superposed relation on said shaft, each of said arms having a bearing member arranged immediately of its ends with an offset therein adjacent said member to form spring engaging means, said arm having a hook at one end and a leaf engaging finger at the other end, a plurality of coiled springs secured at one end in said casing and connected at their other ends to the olfsets of said leaf turning arms, a series of spring catches supported by said casing and having inclined outer ends adapted to be engaged with the inner ends of the leaf turning arms, catch releasing means, a series of pivotally mounted releasing levers connected at their inner ends with said catch releasing means whereby the latter are actuated and a series of keys connected with said catch releasing means whereby the releasing levers may be quickly actuated by the finger.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. HANCOCK. .Vitnesses IV. T. BURKHALTER, B. H. Gnoovnn. 

